ROUNDUP: Sultans, Norse, Pats, Scots, Monarchs, Q’s win

By ECS Staff
Updated: March 4, 2017

RACHEL WILSON has her first home run ball of the year for the Sultans in the season opener Friday.

2017 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com

SANTEE – A balanced offense helped the home team Santana Sultans to an 11-1 victory in their non-league contest against the El Capitan Vaqueros.

The Sultans started things in the bottom of the first as RACHEL WILSON (2-3, 5 RBI, R) slugged a 3-run homer over the left field fence to give the Sultans an early 3-0 lead. The Vaqueros would pull within 3-1 thanks to a run in the top of the fifth.

Wilson drove in a couple more runs to give her 5 RBI on the day. In the bottom of the sixth MACKENZIE BENNETT (1-3, RBI, 2B) would miss a 2-run dinger by mere inches as the ball dropped and hit the top of the tallow piping on top of the fence and bounce back in. Instead of a

In the bottom of the sixth MACKENZIE BENNETT (1-3, RBI, 2B) would miss a 2-run dinger by mere inches as the ball dropped and hit the top of the yellow piping on top of the fence and bounce back in. Instead of a homer, she had to settle for a multi-RBI double.

The other Sultans to have big days were CASSIDY MATTHIE (3-4, 2 R, RBI), who had a three hit day and scored twice along with driving in a run. Helping her own cause was leadoff hitter MADISON MENDEZ (3-4, RBI) who also had 3 hits on the day and drove in a run.

Even getting in on the scoring were the freshmen, HAILEY JUSTICE who scored a run, KRYSTEN SERVICE, who had a hit and scored, and LAKAILA AQUININQUOC who also scored.

Mendez went the distance for the victory as she struck out 4 while giving up the 1 run on 6 hits.

VALHALLA 3, OLP 2 – A near-cycle for a Lady Norseman and strong pitching lead the way to victory for Valhalla.

The Norsemen would strike first in the contest as KENNEDY LABSHERE would blast a leadoff triple to start the top of the fourth. VICTORIA VILLEGAS (2-4, 2RBI) would follow with a single to score Labshere to give Valhalla an early 1-0 lead.

The Pointers would tie the game with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Valhalla would take the lead for good as they scored twice to go up 3-1.

Scoring for the Norsemen was RACHEL SHELLSTROM who singled. Labshere would double in Shellstrom and Villegas would also knock in a run.

SARAH BOTTE would also go 2-3 for the Norsemen.

Offensively for Valhalla, Labshere missed hitting for the cycle by only the homer run as she went 3-4 (3B, 2B, RBI, R).

Garnering the victory for Valhalla was LILY METSCH, who fanned 4 on the day.

CHRISTIAN 16, SAN DIEGO 6 – Despite trailing early on, the host Patriots’ bats came alive to give them the victory over the San Diego Cavers in Monte Vista tournament action.

San Diego got on the board in the top of the first as they were able to push across 3 runs to take an early 3-0 lead.

However, the Patriots in the bottom of the first thanks to a 2-run dinger by SILENT RAIN ESPINOSA (4-4, HR, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI), would pull within 3-2.

San Diego would stretch their lead to 5-2 as they scored a couple in the top of the second inning.

The Patriots would score a run in the bottom of the second to make it 5-3 as LAUREN SHERBURNE (1-3, 2 R, RBI) would come around to score.

In the bottom of the third, Christian would gain the lead for good as they scored three runs to take a 6-5 lead on an Espinosa double. SHANNON MCMAHON (1-3, 2 R, RBI) single and ELLE LINDBLAD (2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) double. All three would score as well.

The Cavers added a run in the top of the fifth to tie the score at 6-6.

However, the Patriots in the bottom of the fifth would bat around and score 10 runs to blow the contest wide open and invoke the ten-run rule.

HELIX 7, FALLBROOK 3 – The Highlanders traveled all the way to North County for a Monte Vista Tournament contest and it was a success as they used balance to garner the victory.

Offensively for Helix, they scored three runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a 2-run double by GABBY OLIVARRIA (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI), which scored both MCKENZIE FLORES (2-4) and AVERY PEREZ. KASEY CASTRO singled in the third run of the inning.

Helix would tack on a couple more in the top of the second inning as Perez drove in a run.

The Warriors would score a couple of their own runs in the bottom of the second, but Helix would ultimately put the game out of reach with a couple more runs in the top of the third inning.

Pitching wise for the Highlanders, SHAREENA LACHANCE tossed a complete game victory, giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits and also striking out 8 on the day.

MONTE VISTA 18, CASTLE PARK 1 – The Monte Vista Monarchs traveled down to the South Bay to take on the Trojans of Castle Park and were able to come away with the run-rule victory.

The Monarchs blew the gates open early and often as they scored 8 runs in the first and 6 more in the top of the second to lead 14-1. They tacked on 4 more over the next couple of innings to give them the 10-run rule victory.

SERRA 14, OLP 4 – The offense for the Conquistadors rebounded as they pushed across 6 runs over the first couple of innings.

However, OLP scored 4 of their own in the first couple of innings as well to pull within 6-4.

That was the closest they would get as Serra in the fifth and sixth innings put up a 3-spot and 4-spot respectively.

BONITA VISTA 1, WEST HILLS 0 – The West Hills Wolf Pack hosted the Bonita Vista Barons in Falcon Fiesta action, Friday (Mar. 3^rd) and unfortunately couldn’t take advantage of opportunities as they dropped a 1-0 contest.

After getting out of the top of the first, the Wolf Pack would have an opportunity in the bottom half to take a lead when MIKAYALA CRISTINI (2-3) singled with one down and SIERRA SCHLICHTING (1-3) followed with a singled of her own to put runners at first and second. They would both advance on a passed ball. Thanks to the passed ball, the Wolf Pack were in business but the Barons were able to thwart the threat by retiring the next couple of batters to end the inning.

The Barons would score what ended up being the only run of the contest in the top of the third thanks to three hits in the inning, of which two were with two outs. West Hills again threatened in their half of the third inning as they were able to put a couple of runners on including a single by ALEX GUAY (1-3), but again were thwarted.

One more opportunity would come West Hills way in the bottom of the seventh as ASHLEIGH HARTWIG (1-3) led off with a single, and SAVANNAH HENDERSON (1-3) followed with a single of her own to give the Wolf Pack hope. However, the Barons had other ideas as they would retire the next batter for the first out. MELISSA CASTILLO would sacrifice for the second out but the runners would advance to second and third. So with two down and runners on second and third, it was up to ALYSSA BUBAR to keep the Pack alive, but she would ground to the shortstop for the third and final out.

Taking the hard-luck loss for the Wolf Pack was CARLY BURSCH, who tossed 7 innings, giving up the one run on 6 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3.

VALLEY CENTER 5, GRANITE HILLS 1 – When traveling a long distance for a game it is the hope that you come out on the right side of the contest. Unfortunately, the Granite Hills Eagles couldn’t take flight in their Jaguar Classic opener as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the host Valley Center Jaguars.

The Jaguars would get on the board first as they pushed across two runs in the bottom of the second and also a run in the bottom of the third to lead 3-0. Granite Hills cut into the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to a couple of hits and base running.

Granite Hills cut into the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to a couple of hits and base running.

For the Eagles in the fourth, CASSIDY SHEW singled, HALLE KYLER used her speed as she bunted her way on and moved Shew up, KAREN CREECH would single in Shew to make it 3-1, but that is as close as they would get. Valley Center would tack on a couple more runs in the bottom of the sixth to round out the scoring.

Valley Center would tack on a couple more runs in the bottom of the sixth to round out the scoring.

In the circle for the Eagles was CATIE DOBBS, who tossed 3 innings, giving up 3 runs, fanned 5 and also 2 hits. Relieving Dobbs was Freshman STACI CHAMBERS, who threw 3 innings of 2-hit ball and gave up 2 runs, of which both were unearned.

TORREY PINES 6, GROSSMONT 5 (8 innings) – A late-inning heroic comeback wasn’t in the cards for the Grossmont Foothillers, as they dropped the Falcon Fiesta opening contest to the host Torrey Pines Falcons in an international tiebreaker format decision.

Grossmont would trail 5-0 heading into the late innings and in the sixth would break through on the scoreboard. Doing the damage for the Foothillers was SAMARIA ROOPE, who would drive in a couple of runs with a single to right center and TAYLOR BAEZ would jack a 2-run bomb to bring Grossmont within 5-4.

An inning later, the Foothillers would knot the score at 5-5 thanks to a DESTINY BACON RBI.

With the score tied up after 7 innings the contest would go to an international tie breaker in the 8^th inning where Grossmont wasn’t able to convert despite advancing the runner to third.

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